Sexual harassment
A concept coined in the 1970s addressing unwanted sexual behavior.
Sexual harassment is unwanted behavior of a sexual nature, or harassment that specifically targets someone based on sexist patterns. While it can sometimes stem from sexual desire, it’s more often aimed at hurting women or punishing people who break gender rules. The common idea of sexual harassment focuses on coercion and unwanted advances, but these are actually less frequent than other forms. Regardless of the type, it can damage a victim’s mental and physical health and disrupt both their personal and professional lives.
Anyone can be a harasser or a victim, regardless of gender. It can happen between friends or strangers, between equals or in power-imbalanced relationships, and can take verbal, physical, or indirect forms. Examples include sexist insults, offensive innuendo, indecent exposure, sexting, sexual roleplay, sharing private photos, demanding sexual favors in exchange for something, and sexual assault like groping or rape.
In many countries, workplace sexual harassment is illegal as a form of employment discrimination. Laws don’t require general politeness, so minor, isolated incidents usually aren’t covered. Harassment is often considered illegal when it’s frequent or severe enough to create a hostile work environment, or when it leads to a negative job decision like firing or demotion. Over 100 countries have laws against both hostile environment and quid pro quo harassment, and dozens also address harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. For many organizations, preventing harassment and protecting employees from such charges has become a key legal priority.
The term “sexual harassment” was first used in a 1973 report by Mary Rowe at MIT, where she helped create early policies on the issue. At Cornell University, instructor Lin Farley found that women in a discussion group had been fired or quit due to harassment. She and others used the term to promote a 1975 “Speak Out” event, and she later testified about it before the New York City Human Rights Commission. Journalist Susan Brownmiller noted that the activists were spurred by Carmita Dickerson Wood, a single mother harassed by a Cornell faculty member. Farley, along with Susan Meyer and Karen Sauvigne, formed Working Women United, and another group, the Alliance Against Sexual Coercion, was founded in 1976. Farley’s 1978 book *Sexual Shakedown* inspired the first workplace training video on the subject.
The legal understanding of sexual harassment grew from U.S. lawsuits in the 1970s and 1980s, many brought by African American women who applied civil rights principles to sex discrimination. Early cases like *Williams v. Saxbe* (1976) and *Barnes v. Costle* (1977) established that firing someone for refusing a supervisor’s advances was sex discrimination. In 1979, legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon published *Sexual Harassment of Working Women*, arguing that workplace harassment fit the definition of sex discrimination under the Civil Rights Act. She also classified harassment into two types: quid pro quo and hostile environment. Her work was key to shaping modern law.
- coined by
- Mary Rowe, Ph.D.
- field
- Workplace discrimination, law, social activism
- key legal classification
- quid pro quo and hostile environment harassment
Lore & Background
Sexual harassment encompasses a range of unwelcome behaviors, from unwanted sexual advances and requests for sexual favors to offensive sexual innuendo, indecent exposure, sexting, sexual roleplay, and the non-consensual collection or sharing of private photos. It also includes physical acts such as groping and rape. While often perceived as driven by sexual desire, such harassment is more frequently committed to hurt women or to punish individuals for violating gender norms. The most commonly understood forms—sexual coercion and unwanted advances—are actually less prevalent than other types. Harassment can occur between any genders, among friends or strangers, and in equal or hierarchical relationships, manifesting through verbal, physical, or indirect actions. All forms can harm a victim’s physical and mental health, affecting both personal and professional life. Legally, workplace sexual harassment is often treated as employment discrimination, though laws do not impose a general civility code; isolated minor incidents are typically not prohibited. Harassment becomes illegal in many countries when it is frequent or severe enough to create a hostile work environment, or when it leads to an adverse employment decision like demotion or firing. Over one hundred countries have laws against both hostile environment and quid pro quo harassment, and dozens specifically address harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Reader's Guide
The legal understanding of sexual harassment developed through lawsuits women brought forward in the U.S. in the 1970s and 1980s, many of whom were African American and former civil rights activists who applied civil rights principles to sex discrimination. Early precedent was set with *Williams v. Saxbe* (1976) and *Barnes v. Costle* (1977), which determined it was sex discrimination to fire someone for refusing a supervisor's advances. In 1979, legal scholar Catharine MacKinnon published *Sexual Harassment of Working Women*, arguing that some workplace sexual harassment was consistent with sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and developed the legal classification of *quid pro quo* and hostile environment harassment. Behaviorally, sexual harassment primarily involves unwanted sexual conduct, though it may also involve sexist targeting. While some acts appear motivated by sexual desire, they are more often committed to hurt women or punish gender norm violations. Popular understanding focuses on sexual coercion and unwanted advances, but these are less common than other types. All types can harm a victim’s physical and mental health and affect personal and professional life. Harassers or victims may be any gender, occur between friends or strangers, involve equal or subordinate relationships, and consist of verbal, physical, or indirect actions—such as insulting remarks, indecent exposure, sexting, sexual roleplay, distributing private photos, demanding sexual favors as bribery, or sexual assault like groping or rape. In most countries, certain workplace sexual harassment is illegal as employment discrimination, though laws do not impose a general civility code and generally prohibit only frequent or severe incidents creating a hostile environment or resulting in adverse employment decisions. Over 100 countries have laws against both hostile environment and *quid pro quo* harassment, and dozens address harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Did You Know?
- Many of the earliest U.S. sexual harassment lawsuits were brought by African American women who were former civil rights activists.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'Sexual harassment' mean in Crime and Deviance 1-24?
The episode defines it as unwanted sexual behavior or sexist targeting directed at a person. It stresses that while sexual desire can play a role, the act more frequently serves to hurt women or punish those who step outside expected gender norms.
What are the two key legal classifications covered in the canon?
The entry identifies quid pro quo harassment and hostile environment harassment as the central legal categories. These two types form the structural basis for how the concept is codified in statutes.
Why does the episode treat Sexual harassment as a significant deviance topic?
It underscores that every form of the behavior can inflict lasting physical and mental harm while upending a victim's personal and professional life. The entry also traces the concept's journey from a 1970s coinage to a globally recognized legal and social framework.
More in Crime And Deviance 1-24
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